The Clinical Nurse Leader Partnership:

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The Clinical Nurse Leader Partnership An Early
Adopter VA Tennessee
Valley Healthcare System (TVHS)
and Vanderbilt University School of Nursing
(VUSN) Nashville, Tennessee James L. Harris,
DSN, RN, APRN-BC, MBA Linda Norman, DSN, RN,
FAAN Sandra Walters, MSN, RN
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Please ask questions via email

• Please send all questions (before, during,
• or after the presentation) via email
• to jstanley_at_aacn.nche.edu

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Clinical Nurse Leader (CNL) Partnership Pilot
Outcomes
Spring, 2003
Vanderbilt University School of Nursing
(VUSN)invites a nationally representative Nurse
Executivegroup to discuss future nurse
management needs.
Focus group identifies need for a unit-based role
that had the Clinical Nurse Specialist skills, a
systems perspective and distinctly different from
the nurse manager.
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Clinical Nurse Leader (CNL) Partnership Pilot
Outcomes (cont)
Summer/Fall, 2003
Air Force asked VUSN to prepare Academy Graduates
in a similar role as identified by the focus
group.
VUSN develops the Clinical Management MSN
curriculum that included Advanced Health
Assessment Pathophysiology Pharmacology Administra
tive and Clinical Decision Making Teaching and
Learning for Staff and Clients Population
Management
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Clinical Nurse Leader (CNL) Partnership Pilot
Outcomes (cont)
October, 2003
VA TVHS decides to launch CNL pilot in
collaboration with VUSN.
TVHS Senior management and labor
partners mutually agree.
Pilot units selected.
Marketing plan developed and executed.
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Clinical Nurse Leader (CNL) Partnership Pilot
Outcomes (cont)
December, 2003
CNL position description developed and approved.
Core competencies developed and approved.
Role transition of unit case managers to CNL.
CNL competencies validated.
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Clinical Nurse Leader (CNL) Partnership Pilot
Outcomes (cont)
April-May, 2004
Agency and academic partnership formalized with
American Association of Colleges of Nursing
(AACN).
August, 2004
CNL students begin clinical rotation.
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Clinical Nurse Leader (CNL) Partnership Pilot
Outcomes (cont)
May, 2005
VA Office of Nursing Service (VA ONS), agency
and academic partner offer CNL core competency
validation course for VAs nationally.
July, 2005
CNL video produced by VA ONS, clinical agency
and academic partner for distribution.
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Clinical Nurse Leader (CNL) Partnership Pilot
Outcomes (cont)
August, 2005
First CNL group in nation graduates
from Vanderbilt University School of Nursing.
Second CNL class begins at academic partner,
including post-masters option.
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Clinical Nurse Leader (CNL) Partnership Pilot
Outcomes (cont)
November, 2005
VA proposes CNL pilot evaluation tool.
AACN evaluation task group requests VA TVHS to
pilot tool.
January, 2006
VA TVHS initiates pre/post CNL evaluation.
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Questions?

• Please send all questions
• (before, during, or after the presentation) via
  email
• to jstanley_at_aacn.nche.edu
• Thank you!